The European Union (EU) said on June 10, 2025, that it would take the United Arab Emirates (UAE) off its list of countries that are high-risk for money laundering and terrorist financing. This shows how hard the UAE is working to make its financial systems better.

The EU’s list is made up of countries that don’t do enough to stop money laundering and terrorist financing. Countries on the list have to go through extra checks, which makes trade harder. The UAE was added in March 2023, which changed how people around the world see it.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) took the UAE off its “grey list” in February 2024 and praised the country’s progress. The UAE made laws stronger, looked into more cases of money laundering, and collected Dh339 million ($92 million) in fines. This move is also supported by the growing trade between the EU and the UAE, which includes talks about free trade that started in April 2025.

  • The EU will also take seven countries off the list, along with the UAE. These are Barbados, Gibraltar, Jamaica, Panama, the Philippines, Senegal, and Uganda. But ten more countries were added to the list for closer watch: Monaco, Algeria, Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, the Maldives, Namibia, Syria, and Tunisia.


This delisting could improve the UAE’s image, bring in investors to places like Dubai, and make it easier for EU businesses to do business there. The decision needs to be approved by the EU and the European Parliament, which should happen within a month if there are no objections.

The UAE’s efforts show that it is committed to a cleaner financial system, which will help it become a more trusted global financial center, though some concerns persist.